Shadow Graced
by Ink and tea-leaves
Summary: Set after Graceling. Po's brother, Skye, now has two children; a Graced daughter Maylin and not a Graced daughter Karla. But then at only 6 years old, Maylin vanishes, her Grace still unknown. 10 years later, a beautiful assasin comes to the royal court... NB: As this was written before Bitterblue came out, there are some obvious mistakes. Not being Kristen Cashore, I didn't know.
1. Chapter 1

Shadow Graced

Prologue; Taken

_Heya! This is my first fanfiction for _Graceling_, so I hope you enjoy it! Please R&R!_

_Thanks, Gypsy Stars x_

Two young girls, no older than 6 and 7, scrambled over the rocks, one Graced, one not Graced. The Graced girl tripped, stumbled and fell, landing with a soft _oof_ on the mossy rocks. Her elder sister turned around and spotted her, and ran back over the rocks to help her up, her curly auburn hair flying madly in the wind. Her younger sister looked up at her and grinned, meeting one pair of sea-green eyes with a pair with one deep, chocolate brown eye and one electric blue eye. The two sisters looked as different as sun from sky, or black from white; one had curly, auburn hair and the beginnings of a tall, slim figure and creamy, pale skin, while the other had tangled, jet black hair, a shorter, sturdier figure and darker, more exotic-looking skin, but their eyes met and their expressions were identical; pure joy and excitement. The elder, not-Graced sister helped up the younger, Graced sister and then scampered away, laughing.

"C'mon Maylin!" she called back over her shoulder. "We'll be late!"

"I'm comin' Karla!" replied her sister. "Wait!"

Laughing, the two girls ran, clambered and scampered over the rocks that marked the shoreline, the rolling sea occasionally splashing them with salt-water. Both girls' dresses were wet with spray, but neither cared.

The biggest wave yet crashed over the rocks, and it caught Maylin by surprise. She stumbled again, and fell, but this time she slipped off the wet, mossy rock she had been standing on, and fell towards the waves. Karla screamed as Maylin disappeared beneath the foam and spray, but the girl surfaced almost immediately, laughing.

"Rawr! I'm a big-bad-sea-monster!" she grinned, and dissolved into giggles. Karla laughed too, and soon they were standing waist high in the sea, splashing each other and laughing.

"Princesses! Lady Karla, Lady Maylin!" A voice behind them called out, and the two girls turned to see a footman in royal livery hurrying towards them along the rocks. They waved, hitched up their skirts, and began wading towards him. As soon as they reached the safety of the rocks he grabbed their wrists, and Karla started. Servants didn't normally touch them apart from their nurse, Helda.

"Please let go of me" she said in her most royal voice, but the man only laughed.

"None of that Lady Karla. I've orders to bring you along."

"Well, _I'm _ordering you to let go of me." The man stopped and looked curiously at her, as if considering her properly for the first time, before sweeping her a low, mocking bow.

"When did I saw my orders came from your parents?" he sneered. Karla gasped, and began struggling in his grip, but he only tightened it and laughed again. Maylin began to sob, while struggling just as hard as her sister; biting and scratching as hard as she could. Then Karla managed to knee the man in the groin, and he yelped with pain and dropped her and Maylin. The younger girl struck the floor... and didn't get up.

"_Maylin!" _cried Karla, but the man had recovered, and he shoved her away.

"I've no need of _you_" He sneered, and then spat out a word that stung her worse than any blow.

"Ungraced."

Karla staggered back, and suddenly his fist was in her face and the world went black.

Royal servants would find her hours later, bleeding and unconscious, but alive. She would be taken up to the palace, and within two days no sign of her injuries would be visible upon her. But Maylin would be nowhere to be found.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok, here comes chapter two! Enjoy! _

_**The assassins' camp, somewhere in the mountains on the Monsean boarder**_

The sky was a dark grey and the biting wind was freezing, but there was laughter around the campfire that burned in the mountains just east of Suncliff.

"And she said, and this is from underneath me, pinned down mind, _'You know you still owe me that throwing knife?'_" There was more laughter and the man who'd spoken, a great beefy man with one moss green eye and one mud brown eye, grinned and ruffled the hair of a girl who sat on his left. She laughed too, and leaned into him.

"But who won that fight?" she asked slyly.

"Well, you, but..." he conceded, and his friends roared with laughter.

"That girl will be the death of you Boar" said one of his mates. "But you never were one to give up."

A shadow fell over their group, and they all turned around to see a thin, tall man whose face was hidden in the shadow of his cloak.

"Having fun are we, my darlings?" No one laughed now; each face wore an identical expression of dread and shame, as if this man knew things about them that they would never have chosen to tell a single soul.

"Panther. Come, my black cat" said the man in a deadly quiet voice. A young girl detached herself from the circle and stood up. Her wild, jet black hair fell over her face, hiding her expression, but her fingers fluttered over her belt, fingering her sword, her dagger, her throwing knives, betraying her anxiety. None of her friends said anything as she turned and followed the man away from the relative warmth of the fire, but no one spoke or laughed for a long time after she'd left.

The man led her away from the fire and past a group of sentries who stood guard outside a small tent. He pushed aside the flaps and entered, beckoning for the girl called Panther to follow him. She entered the tent and looked around curiously; she'd never been in the commander's tent before. The man turned to face her, lacing his fingers together and surveying her.

"Panther, Panther." He watched her like a cat surveying a mouse it has caught. Suddenly he laughed, a high, false sound that held no joy and sent shivers down Panther's spine.

"Sit, my darling cat. You look so tense." Panther pulled up a flimsy, wooden stool that stood by the door and perched on the edge, but she looked no less tense. The man did not sit.

"Now to business; as you know, we are breaking camp tomorrow and moving on. What you do not know is where we are going. We are heading south through the mountains to the coast, where we are being met with horses. We'll all ride west to Suncliff and take a ship to South Bay. There we leave a number of our party. A select group of five or so will take another ship, on which we will travel for a number of days, finally arriving in Lienid this time in two weeks." Panther was shocked into speaking.

"Lienid? So you are putting into action your... plan?" The man laughed again as if he found her delightfully funny.

"Why yes my dear. Yes I am." Panther looked somewhere between thrilled and downright terrified.

"And who will be... the key operative?" she asked, as if she knew the answer and dreaded it.

"Why my dear Panther" said the man in his deadliest calm voice. "That shall be you."

Panther did not go back to the campfire. She found her sleeping sac and carried it a little way off, away from the laughter of the circle that had risen up again, away from the all-seeing eyes of the man with the cold, high laugh and away from any opinions and expectations of her.

As she curled up in the shadows, a tiny voice called out

"Panther? Are you here?" A small girl, about 8 or 9 years old, came into view around the rocks that hid the rest of the camp. She, like all the others in their group, was graced and her one storm grey eye and one sky blue eye gave her the ability to fly dozens of feet from tree to tree like a monkey. Here in the mountains she was utterly out of her element, and as she came closer it was clear that she had been crying.

"Oh Key" sighed Panther. "Come here." She opened her arms and the little girl rushed up to her and snuggled into her sac. Within seconds she was asleep, her little snuffly breathing strangely comforting. Panther smiled softly, and hugged the little girl. The man had told her much more after he'd revealed their route, part of which had been that this little girl, Spider Monkey as her had named her, but Key as the others called her, was coming too. Panther hugged the girl tighter, as if to protect her from what was to come.

An owl hooted, and the girl called Panther gazed up into the stars, as if they could reveal to her a forgotten past, years before, when she'd lived on the isle of Lienid, played on a beach, and been called Lady Maylin, daughter of Sky, Prince of Lienid.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys! It's slightly surreal that people are still reading this story which, honestly, I considered not even posting... but anyway, here it is! Chapter 3! Enjoy!_

Panther cursed, and sucked on her bleeding thumb. The knife she'd been using to sharpen her arrows had slipped in her numb hands and cut her. Still holding her thumb in her mouth, she threw the knife and the arrow down on the rock she'd been sitting on and stalked off to find Robin. The woman, barely taller than a young girl though she was Pather's age, was named after her dark red and brown eyes that were like the colours on a robin. For all that she looked harmless, she had such skill with herbs that she could whip up a draft deadly enough to kill ten men with her hands tied behind her back. Panther found her lying on her stomach on the frozen ground, inspecting and labelling her plants without so much as glancing at the reference book that lay open before her.

Panther had to call Robin's name twice before the girl stirred from her inspection, and a third before she sat up to take notice.

"Panther. How can I help?" she said finally, when her eyes which had been inspecting tiny plants for so long adjusted to something so much bigger and further away than a hands breadth. Panther held out her still-bleeding thumb in reply, and Robin sighed, putting aside her herbs and taking Panther's hand.

"What in the Great Hills were you doing?" she asked, looking at Panther's thumb. "A centimetre either way and you'd have severed a nerve!"

"I was making arrows" Panther admitted.

"What's wrong with the flit-tipped ones Viper gives you?"

"They're no good for anything smaller than a terrier, which rather limits the amount of rabbits or birds I can bring back" she explained. Robin nodded. It made sense.

"That should do it" she said, tying off the end of the bandage she'd wrapped around the thumb. Panther inspected her work and asked exasperatedly

"How am i supposed to hunt with a thumb like that?"

"That's your lookout" said Robin simply, turning back to her herbs. Panther muttered a not-so-polite comment under her breath and stuck the offending digit into her pocket. She turned around to head back to her arrows... and got knocked to the ground by a flying body.

"RAVEN!" she yelled, pinned to the ground. "Get OFF me!"

"Sorry Panther" laughed Raven, untangling herself from Panther and leaping back. "Boar threw me..."

"Yes" replied Panther dryly. "I got that." She looked back to where Boar stood in a circle of ground swept clear of all leaves and debris, which they had clearly been using to fight in, waving sheepishly.

"I'll give him a run for his money..." she muttered, and stalked over to him, ripping the fingerless glove off her uninjured hand as she did so. She reached the circle and tossed it at his feet.

"Boar, Graceling of strength and part of the Graced Rebels, I challenge you to a fight till the almost-death! Until one of us surrenders!" she grinned.

"And I, Boar, do accept your challenge, Lady Panther, Graceling of shadows and also part of the Graced Rebels!" he returned, bending to pick up her glove. "But you might want to keep your mitten, you'll freeze your fingers off..." He handed the glove back to her.

And so there, in the ice locked mountains, two people fought with such ferocity and skill that the entire camp gathered round to watch and cheered on one participant or the other. And when it was over, when Panther had won, she bent down and offered a hand to Boar and pulled him up, and they went and sat by the fire and laughed. And reality was postponed for one day longer.

_Hmmm, that was slightly longer than usual... which is a good thing! Even though it took longer as well... Hope you enjoyed it! _

_Stars x _


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey all! Finally, here's chapter 4! Thanks to Hanna for the most hilarious review ever, and for prompting me to actually post this! Happy reading! x_

It was night. In the mountains that bordered Monsea a dozen figures moved silently through the velvet blackness. The leader of the group, a little way ahead of the rest, moved with uncanny accuracy and determination, avoiding boulders and obstacles that she shouldn't even have been able to see. Behind her, most of the group moved without too much trouble, apart from one figure who tripped and stumbled over every boulder that crossed her path, as well as some that didn't.  
"Robin" hissed a figure next to her. "You're making more noise than a horse over cobbles."  
"Sorry Fox" muttered Robin. "It's just that I... OW!" This last was shouted, as Robin went down with a yell. A figure in front of them turned and rounded on her. He was already annoyed and cross at having to follow Panther instead of take the lead himself, so this was almost the last straw. Almost.  
"What do you think you're doing" Viper hissed. "Need I remind you of our situation?" Robin shook her head mutely. They were half a day's travel from the port where they were boarding a boat. They had ditched the horses the previous morning as they would be too conspicuous, and now they approached the port by the cover of night. Their boat would wait for them until half an hour after dawn, then leave and assume they'd been captured or killed. Such was the nature of their trade.  
But now, with only three or four hours till dawn and more than double that to travel, they were running extremely late.  
Panther doubled back to where their leader, the man who'd summoned her to his tent only a few nights previously, was threatening Robin with the usual 'throw you out of the group' or 'leave you behind's.  
"Commander" she interrupted. "If you'll let me, I know of a way to get there faster."  
Viper rounded on her. "And what would you know that the rest of us don't?" he asked with deadly quiet.  
"A shortcut. We discussed it before." Indeed they had, but Viper had been reluctant to take it as it would mean emerging into the port right by the constable's office. Viper frowned... then gave in.  
"Fine" he growled. "But on your head be it." Panther nodded and turned on her heel, vanishing into the velvet darkness like a cat. Robin sat down on the ground, as did two or three others. Viper however remained standing, staring hungrily into the darkness after Panther. After a few moments she returned, smiling like a cat that's spotted a mouse.  
"The coast is clear" she announced. The party stood and followed her through a narrow pass between two rocks. There, hidden from previous view by a shrubbery, was a fast flowing mountain river, just big enough for a narrow boat. Panther pointed downstream to where a long, low hut stood on the banks of the tiny river. Moored 50 yards from it was a small, wooden boat that looked far too big to fit but managed to just the same and two light, practically transparent canoes.  
"That's our ride" said Panther, pointing to the wooden boat. "We'll take one of those too" she added, pointing to the canoes. "We won't all fit in the wooden one." Viper nodded.  
"The owner?"  
"Asleep. I gave him one of Robin's sleeping draughts."  
"Very good. Let's go."

4 and a half minutes later the two boats were pushed off from the bank and began to drift downstream, gathering speed as they went. By the time they were 500 yards away they were rushing along at breakneck speed, their occupants clinging on for dear life.

The sun set the sea alight with fire reds and pinks as it rose over the tiny port. A dozen figures strolled through town, looking determinedly relaxed and at ease, but every one had his or her hand on a dagger, and all twelve sets of eyes were darting around frantically.

Panther lead them through the buildings and towards the sea. The mast of their ship was visible now, flying a blood red flag with a black sail beneath it. Not exactly a cheerful sight, but each of the figures only just managed not to run towards it. To do so would surely attract attention, and their departure relied in remaining undetected.

Suddenly a cry to their left shattered the early morning peace, and sent every pair of legs running for the boat.

"Hey, you! Stop, order of the police!"

"Run!" roared Viper, and twelve bodies ploughed through the gathering crowd of the port and hurtled onto the boat.

"Cast off!" yelled Viper, and the sailors who had been summoned to the deck by his shout released the roles tethering them to land, a gust of wind caught the sails and they moved off. Viper sank panting onto the deck, utterly unfit, for all that he ran a group of assassins, but Panther stood at the rail, looking back at the port. The guards who had spotted them were still standing by the shore, staring after the ship. Panther had a sense that they would not be welcomed back to Monsea very soon.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey all! Sorry its taken so long to get this up – basically I've written the next chapter too. I wrote it as one massive chapter, which is the part of the reason it's taken so long. Anyway, it was just too long, so I've split it in two and I'm posting the first half first (obviously). The next chapter just needs tweaking so it'll be up in a few days, what with school and all. Enjoy!_

Panther stood at the prow of the ship and looked out toward the land. They'd first spotted the dark smudge on the horizon that morning, and it had grown in size and solidity throughout the day. Now the sun was setting but there was still enough light to make out the first houses along the shoreline. There was a shout from behind her and Panther turned around to see Robin crossing the deck towards her.

"Viper's called a meeting below" she called, and Panther hopped down from her perch. She followed Robin past the mast and down a wooden ladder. The galley below was normally filled with sailors but Viper had kicked them all out to make room for what remained of their company. They'd put a lot of people down at port when they'd switched ships, and only those crucial to their mission now remained. Panther saw Key, Boar and Viper sitting around a table with a map spread between them. Key was sitting on two cushions and still her little chin only just made it above the table. Boar, by contrast, looked big enough to need two chairs to accommodate him, while Viper, slim and sinewy as he was, seemed to fill the entire room with his presence. Even the lamp on the table seemed to flicker away from him.

"Ah, Panther. Finally, we saved you a seat." He indicated the chair on his right; Boar occupied the one on his left and he winked at Panther as she sat down. Robin took the seat between Key and Panther.

"So" said Viper, with the air of one finally beginning something that he's waited a long time for. "So, we're less than three hours sailing from the Leinid shore. We'll arrive just after dark, giving us good cover to leave the ship undetected. You all know the plan, so Key and Robin, I want you to head straight off as soon as we dock. Boar, follow 20 minutes behind. Panther, stay at the edge of the docks until you see the signal, then run up to the castle as fast and silently as the cat I named you for. I want you all back here by dawn with the target." Viper smiled a very snake-like smile. "Prince Greening won't know what hit him."

It was just after dark in the south-west Leinid port. A group of dock-hands caught the chain thrown to them by a large cargo vessel and secured it to one of the many iron rings that dotted the harbour deck-way. A gang way was lowered off the ship, and five people descended. The dock hands didn't even have time to get a good look at five foreigners arriving on a cargo vessel after dark before they were all knocked out cold by the nearest of the group.

"Good work Panther" said Viper. "Okay, Key, Robin, get going." Key and Robin both nodded, and sped away into the darkness.

They rapidly ascended the mile climb up the hill to the castle, arriving at the gates just as the first candles were being lit in the windows. Robin didn't even bother trying the gates, she knew they'd be locked. She led Key to the lowest bit of wall she could find -still 25 foot high - and handed her a length of rope with knots tied in it every 3 feet.

"Okay girl" she grinned. "Do your thing." Key nodded... and simply scurried up the wall. The fact that the wall was vertical with no hand holds didn't seem to worry her in the slightest. Robin shook her head in amazement. In under 10 seconds Key reached the top of the wall and threw down the rope, keeping half of it in her hands, so that she held 25 feet and 25 feet dangled down on Robin's side. Robin took hold of her end and hung on. Key threw the remaining 25 feet down into the castle grounds and lowered herself down. Once Robin felt the rope slacken, meaning that Key was in the ground, she took hold of the first knot and began climbing up the wall. Compared to Key's 10 seconds, it took Robin a full minute to ascend the wall, and then a further 30 seconds to lower herself down the other side.

"He should have... named you... Lizard" puffed Robin. "You're so... damn fast." Key just grinned and scampered off, leaving Robin to follow 100 yards behind. At the docks, boar finished counting down 10 minutes and set off at a run towards the castle. By the time he reached the spot where Robin and Key had crossed the wall, the pair were through the grounds and at the foot of the castle. Suddenly a hidden door 15 meters to their right opened, flooding the grounds with light. Key and Robin flattened themselves against the wall as a figure stepped out. It was immediately apparent that it was a woman, thought she wore a riding habit that obscured her dress, and the way she held herself suggested a royal woman at that. She looked around her but didn't spot Key and Robin, the hood of her cape having fallen, by pure chance, in such a position to cause a blind spot in their exact position. She re-adjusted her cape and set off in the direction of the stables. Robin waited until she heard her footsteps fade then breathed a massive sigh of relief.

"That was way too close" she said. Key stared thoughtfully after the woman.

"She looks like Panther" she said thoughtfully. "The way she walks, the way she holds herself." Robin frowned.

"That she may do, but come on. Thinking about it won't get us into Prince Greening's room."

"No, it won't" agreed Key with sudden decision, and set off. Within three minutes they arrived at the oak tree that stood outside the room in which the prince was staying during his stay. Key didn't say a word, but scaled the 30 foot tall tree in a matter of seconds. From the highest branch she peered into windows until she found the right one, then she braced herself... and simply leapt from the tree to the window 10 feet away. She perched on the window sill like a bird and wriggled a lock pick out of her sleeve. She had the window open in just over the time it had taken she to climb the tree, for she had no grace to help her this time, but once it was open she disappeared inside and five seconds later the rope that they'd used before was thrown down. Robin quickly climbed up and pulled herself through the window. Key had tied the rope to bedpost and set to exploring the room. Robin ignored her and took a packet out of her pocket. She unfolded the top and took a handful of the pale blue powder inside.

"Hold your nose and get over to the window" she said to Key, and began sprinkling the powder over the bed and floor. At once she was hit by the smell of lavender and something unidentifiable and her head began to swim, but she just took this as a confirmation of her concoction's potency and didn't breathe in. In the shortest time possible she'd completed her task and was scrambling out of the window and down again. Key untied the rope, threw it down to Robin, and climbed out of the window herself, scrambling down the wall unaided.

"Ok," said Robin once she'd stowed the rope in her pack. "Let's go light the signal."

"How long do we have?" asked Key. Robin pointed to the moon.

"I'd say we've got 15 minutes until our prince enters his room. Let's get Panther up here and get out."

"Agreed" said Key, and the two girls turned and began running back the way they'd come. When they came to a place where the castle roof some 70 feet above them was flat Key began to scurry up the wall. It was dark enough that after 40 seconds Robin couldn't see her, but she knew that she'd achieved her objective when a light flared directly above her. It burnt for less than 10 seconds then was extinguished. Anyone who hadn't been watching for it wouldn't have seen it, but down at the port, Panther was watching, and she began sprinting towards the castle. A few seconds later Key dropped to the ground by Robin's side.

"Ok" she said, slightly out of breath. "Panther will be on her way here." Robin nodded.

"Let's go." The two set off towards the point where they'd initially crossed the wall. When they reached it and crossed they found Boar waiting on the other side.

"Everything went according to plan I assume?" he said. The girls replied to the affirmative.

"Then get out of here and back to the ship" he said. The girls gave him their rope and slipped off into the darkness, leaving Boar to climb the wall and make his way up to the castle alone. Or so he thought. He'd just reached the wall when he paused, the hairs on the back of his neck raised. He had a split second's warning but it was not enough. He was grabbed from behind by a woman who, by the feel of her, was a well-to-do courtier. She was wearing thick layers if silk which rustled distinctively and an extremely expensive-smelling perfume.

"You've lost your touch Boar" she said softly into his ear and released him.

"Panther?" he asked incredulously, twisting round to face her. She grinned at him. In the time it had taken for Key and Robin to complete their task and signal for her to come up, she'd washed her hair, done it up in an intricate style on the top of her head and changed into a long, silk dress. All in all, she looked just like a visitor to the royal household. Which, in a way, she was.

"Ready to roll?" he asked her.

"All the way" she replied, and slipped off into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

_I promised the next chapter and here it is! Hope you enjoy! _

In the entrance hall of the Lienid Castle belonging to his Royal Highness King Ror a woman stood in the shadows. She was clearly visible and was making no effort to hide herself, but somehow no one seemed to notice her. It was not that they didn't look her way, for they did; she was standing next to the stairs which people were frequently ascending and descending, but the shadows seemed to gather around her in such a way that simply persuaded people's eyes to glide over her without taking note of her presence. Although clearly in sight to anyone looking directly at her, for anyone simply scanning the room she was, effectively, invisible. A door opened on the far side of the hall and the lady looked up, her miss-matched eyes picking out her target amongst the mass of people who entered the room. She sought out the man with one silver eye and one gold eye, and glided over to him, her footsteps curiously muffled on the polished marble floor, shadows draped around her like swathes of exotic fabric. She stood less than 3 meters from him and still he didn't notice her. Panther smiled to herself. Oh the joys of her Grace. When he excused himself, claiming tiredness a few minutes later, she followed him up the stairs and no one so much as glanced her way. When questioned later, none of the occupants of the room would remember a girl with miss-matched eyes and a silk dress who followed the youngest prince upstairs.  
Prince Greening, aka Po, sighed as he climbed the stairs. For all that he loved being with his brothers and Father, he hated hiding his true Grace from them, as well as his blindness. Katsa, his wildcat love, was away giving her fighting lessons in Sunder, and although he could manage perfectly well by himself, he missed her.  
Suddenly he became aware of someone following him. He could feel her thoughts towards him, but they were curiously muffled, like footsteps in the snow, and he hadn't noticed her before despite his grace, which was in its self remarkable. Her mind felt familiar somehow, like someone he'd met long ago. Her thought towards him however were strange. All he got was a feeling of anticipation and something else that he couldn't put his finger on; a mixture of malice, hatred and (could it be?) guilt. But he had no time to ponder the feeling for he had reached his room, and his companion stopped 20 yards behind him, which again was odd, for as far as he knew, none of the other rooms in this corridor should hold any interest to a visitor.  
"Hello, can I help you?" he asked, turning around to face her, and was startled by her reaction. Her thoughts towards him flipped from hostile to downright shocked.  
_How did he see me?_ The thought came through loud and clear, then that odd misty feel was back and he heard nothing more.

"No, I'm fine my Lord" she said and now it was his turn to start. Her voice sounded exactly like...

"Kayla?" he asked. "I thought you were out hunting?"

"No Sire, my name is Panther" said Panther. _Odd name _thought Po, but he didn't say so.

"Well Panther, what can I do for you?" he asked, opening the door to his room and gesturing for her to enter. Panther took a deep breath, held it, and stepped into the room, desperate not to breathe in the sleep-powder which she knew Robin had scattered. The Prince had no such warning. He took a deep breath as he stepped into his room, glad to be back from a hard day's hunting... and collapsed sideways. His legs simply ceased to hold his weight, his arms went limp and his head rolled back as he crumpled to the ground, Panther catching him just before he hit the ground. She dragged him from the room before she had to breathe in herself. Once out of the room Po's eyes began to flutter and opened briefly, but she took a handkerchief soaked in a liquid made from the same stuff as the powder out of her pocket and held it to his mouth and nose. His eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in her arms once again.

"I'm sorry my Lord" she whispered to his unconscious body, then picked him up, draped shadows around them both, and walked back down the stairs. No one noticed her leave just as no one noticed her enter. Prince Po would only be missed when he failed to come down to breakfast the following morning and by then it would be far too late.


	7. Chapter 7

_Wow, I think that was the quickest I've ever posted a new chapter. Under an hour! I'm on a roll today... :-) _

Po hit the floor with a thud, winced, and opened his eyes. His head was all foggy and he couldn't think straight, but physically he felt fine. Which was odd, considering that he was lying on a rocking, bare wooden floor. From the way the room was tipping he suspected that he was on a boat. The room around him was bare apart from a low table set with a plate of stale food and a cup of water and an only slightly higher ship's hammock which he appeared to have fallen out of. He sat up and rubbed his head. What the heck was going on? Everything was blank from when that woman... That woman. Panther. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the door of his cell. Outside, through the window in his door, was a narrow corridor with a hole in the ceiling and a ladder emerging through it. He sensed no one on his level - the rooms on either side of him were empty – but someone was directly above him, and thinking about him. The feel of the person's mind was funny, as was her thoughts towards him. A mixture of guilt, curiosity, hostility and protectiveness. The person made her way along towards the ladder and began climbing down. To anyone watching it would have seemed like a pair of feet suddenly appeared through the ceiling, followed by a body, but of course Po saw none of this, not that the eyes of the person coming down were as red and brown as the colours of a Robin. He sensed every hair on her head, but none of its colour or how it would appear to others. Robin – for it was her – came and opened the door to Po's cell and stepped in. Po immediately moved to Tackle her to the floor, but as soon as he got within a foot of her he smelt that sickly sweet stuff that had knocked him out and his head began to spin. He backed away.

"You don't like my concoctions Lord Prince?" enquired Robin. "I don't blame you. It's a pity you've only experienced the unpleasant ones. I assure you they can be quite lovely. When I choose."

"Why have you come?" asked Po.

He was surprised when Robin sounded slightly ashamed. "To see how my potion worked" she admitted. "You're the first person who's actually had the full blast of it, and I wanted to see if it had any after0effects that I needed to iron out."

"Apart from my head being all foggy none" Po was surprised to hear himself say. Why was he telling her anything.

"Ooh really?" she asked excitedly. "I was worried I'd but too much poppy in. It can sometimes give people really weird dreams and hallucinations..."

"No, no hallucinations" he assured her. He was honestly shocked to find that he liked this girl. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Robin" she answered, then wondered whether she shouldn't have told him. Anyway, it was too late now.

"Robin and Panther" mused Po. "Some odd names you've got going on."

"We're all named after animals" explained Robin. "My eyes look like the colours of a Robin, and Panther..." suddenly she stopped short. "I'm not supposed to say anything, I'm sorry. I've got to go" she said, then she was gone. Po sighed. Who were these people?

Some time later he was woken by the sound of someone knocking on his door. He sat up groggily. He supposed he must have fallen asleep again, for he was sitting curled up on the floor by the door. He stood up.

"I'm awake" he said, and a man entered the cell. He was a monster of a man – huge arms and legs and Po guessed that even he'd be challenged in a fight against this man.

"I'm to take you up on deck" he grunted, taking hold of Po by the arms before Po had time to move. He was fast as well as strong, and in his recently-drugged condition Po was in no state to argue.

The man dragged him up several ladders and onto the deck of the ship. Panther, Viper and Robin watched Po emerge with Boar holding him by the arms, and Robin winced on his behalf. For some reason, since drugging him she felt some odd responsibility to make sure that he was all right.

"Prince Greening" said Viper silkily, gliding forward. "Welcome to the '_Speckled Dolphin'. _You may recognise it. It used to be one of your brother's ships, did it not? Or rather, it used to be used by your brother. Until last night, when we so happily chanced to meet its Captain on his return from the tavern. We decided that it was time he took a well deserved retirement and relieved him of his ship, did we not my friends?" His 'friends' didn't say anything.

"What do you want with me?" asked Po.

"Well, Prince, my companions and I are all Gracelings. All of us were hated by our peers and ejected from society by our respective lands. We, or rather I, formed a group, a band of Gracelings. Any Graceling we came across we recruited, unless of course they did not wish to join us."

"What has this to do with me?" spat Po.

"Well, you, Lord Prince, are the exception to this rule. You are a Graceling, yet you are a Prince. You are not ridiculed, you are not trodden upon by your country-men. You are a Lienid Prince. This is why we need you. Your country, Lienid, is the only kingdom of the seven that does not treat Gracelings like vermin, yet you refuse to intercede on other Gracelings' behalf. You let the cruelty that is extended towards Gracelings in the other six Kingdoms continue unchecked." Po hung his head it was true, what could he say? But Viper was not finished. "We will demand from King Ror that he creates a unit of his men, perhaps of his army, that will travel around the Kingdoms and right the wrongs done to Gracelings. And how better to make our point that by taking Lienid's very own Graceling prince?" Po looked up.

"You think that kidnapping me will make my Father feel compassion and sympathy to your cause?" he spat. But Viper only smiled and shook his head.

"No, I don't. But I believe that I have someone who will. You have met Panther, have you not?" Panther looked up sharply. Clearly this part of the plan had not been revealed to her.

"Commander?" she said. "What do you mean...?" Viper ignored her.

"Panther has felt the injustice towards Graceling keenly, have you not Panther? But you may not know her by that name Prince Greening, Po. You may know her by her original name... Lady Maylin."

Po gasped. His head jerked up, his blind eyes fixed on Panther, or Maylin as he now knew her to be. His Grace assessed her features – her eyes, her nose, the set of her shoulders... And that familiar feel of her mind, and how her voice sounded like Kayla. Something slotted into place.

"Maylin?" he whispered. "My niece, Maylin?"

Panther looked at him with horror. "Your niece?" she spat.

"Oh but it's true my dearest" said Viper smoothly. "Po, greet your brother Skye's youngest daughter, Princess Maylin of Lienid."


	8. Chapter 8

_Wow, three chapters in two days! Woo hoo! Happy reading! Star x_

Po was back in his cell. After Viper had made his shocking revelation Panther had run below deck without waiting to hear another word, and Po had been dragged back to his cell by Boar. Now he lay in his hammock, thinking about what this would mean for Skye and Karla. The tragedy of course was that Maylin's mother would never know that she was alive – she'd died only three years after Maylin was taken of a fever that had killed two of her maidservants as well, without ever seeing her youngest daughter again.

Po felt Maylin's thoughts up on deck turn to him, and a few seconds later he heard her feet on the floor above then coming down the ladder. Her intentions towards him were far from clear – anger, hate, curiosity, new-found affection... All she was sure of was that she wanted to talk.

"Prince Po?" she asked cautiously, standing at his door. "May I come in?"

"Of course. You've got the key, not me." Panther/Maylin came in and sat down on the floor by the door and put her head in her hands. There was a pause, then she said, slightly muffled, "What was I like?"

"What?" asked Po, taken aback.

"What was I like?" she repeated, raising her head. "Was I cute? Funny? Smart? Could I fight? Did you know my Grace? Or was I nothing special at all?"

"No" said Po. "No, you were something special. Someone special." He paused, wondering what to tell her. He decided on the truth.

"You were the most determined little girl I've ever met. Only 5 years old, and there wasn't a horse in the stables you didn't ride. Not that you stayed on all of them, but you tried." Panther smiled. "You gave your tutors hell. You never sat still for more than ten minutes at a time – you had to be running around, climbing trees, falling over. I don't think your knees were ever without cuts and bruises." He paused. "We didn't know your Grace yet when you were taken. We suspected it was something to do with not being seen, for you could sneak out of every state dinner, or steal anything from the kitchens."

Panther smiled. "My Grace is Shadows" she said. "I can drape shadows around myself and take on their characteristics. Its hard to see me, everything I do is muffled, and I become lighter, light as air. I can drift over wall and through windows, but only if I'm not thinking about it. I have to let my mind go blank; then I can do anything shadows can do." Po's eyes widened.

"That's unlike any other Grace I've ever heard of" he breathed. "Can you show me?" Panther said nothing, but held out her hands. The shadows in the corners of the room flocked to her, and to anyone looking she would have suddenly become almost impossible to see. Of course, to Po, this made no difference. Her thoughts towards him however suddenly took on a very mist-like, a very shadowy quality, as if it wasn't just her body that was being changed but her mind too.

"Fabulous" he breathed, and the shadows fled back to their original places. "I assume that's why you're called Panther."

Panther nodded. "Black and silent as the night." Po was silent, so she said "how old was I when I disappeared?"

"You were only 5" said Po, and now there was pain clear in his voice. "You were playing on the beach with Karla one afternoon. It was a clear, cloudless day and everyone was happy. The kingdom was well. There were supposed to be two guards watching you, but as usual you gave them the slip and ran off. No one was unduly alarmed, you often ditched your guards and there was nowhere you could really go. Besides, you were both strong swimmers, but when by evening you hadn't returned your Mother sent servants out to fetch you. You were nowhere to be found. After almost three hours searching we found your sister, Karla, bleeding and unconscious on the rocks. Everyone was relieved to have found her of course, but you were still missing. When Karla woke up she told us what had happened. Your mother was... inconsolable. She fell in within days and never fully recovered. She had a relapse into the illness three years later and... I'm sorry Maylin. She died."

Panther was silent. She knew she should feel something, but nothing came. She felt numb inside, no emotions, just a kind of pure, silent agony for a woman, a mother, whom she'd never know.

"Carry on" she croaked, and some detached part of her wondered what had happened to her voice.

"You Father, Prince Skye, didn't rest. He was hardly ever home, travelling the seven Kingdoms looking for a young Lienid Graceling. Of course, no such girl was ever found. He refused to believe that you were dead, even when the rest of the family gave up. We had a funeral for you, even there was no body. He didn't attend." Po's eyes were wet now, remembering his brother's grief.

"Even when he was home he was not the same. He paced the castle, and ate next to nothing. The only person he spoke to was your sister, Karla."

"What is she like?" asked Panther, and was glad to hear that her voice was back to normal.

Po smiled. "She's lovely. Smart, charming, beautiful... Half the men at court are in love with her. She rejects them of course. She spends most of her time out riding or pouring over maps and charts with her Father. Your Father" he corrected himself. "They've transformed one of the unused rooms on the fourth floor into their study. The walls are covered in reports of sightings, maps and possible suspects. They're still trying to find you Maylin."

Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Panther was furious. "My name is not Maylin!" she yelled. "It's Panther! I grew up without you, without court, without my family! I am Panther! I am a killer, a trained assassin! We all are! You know nothing about us, nothing! You never found me! For all their efforts, my Father and my sister never found me!"

"Maylin-" began Po, but Panther yelled "my name is not Maylin!" and launched herself at him. Po had a spit second's warning, but it was enough. He rolled out of the way, and punched Panther in the stomach... but his hand simply glanced off her. She'd invoked her Grace. Panther pulled the shadows around her and launched her second attack. Most opponents were felled by this combination of speed and near-invisibility, but Po seemed to know what she was doing before she did it. Not only that, but he seemed to have no trouble seeing her. The more they fought, the more she became sure that he knew where every finger and toe on her hands and feet were. She swirled the shadows around him in an attempt to confuse him, but her momentary lack of movement only gave him the opening he'd been looking for. Seemingly unaware of the shadows that would have driven most people mad, he caught Panther's wrists and bodily slammed her and pinned her against the wall. Panther looked into his eyes... and something clicked. The way he didn't seem to quite focus on her, the way her shadows didn't seem to bother him...

"Po" she said softly. "Are you blind?" And suddenly the fight went out of him. He let go and slumped against the wall.

"Yes" he said simply. And then she was in his arms and they were both sobbing, Panther for the life she'd found, Po for the little girl he'd thought he'd lost and the secret she'd discovered. They slid down the wall onto the floor and still Po held her tight, tears running down his cheeks, while she cried away the sadness of a life in exile.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey all! Sorry for the slow update, utter writer's block! But anyhoo, all okay now. Happy reading!_

_Stars x_

It was just after midday, but clouds still flitted across the Lienid sky. The water down by the shore was rough and only one or two vessels could be seen making their way timidly out to sea, where the waves were bigger but less vicious.

The palace was in a state of utter panic. The guards outside almost every room had been doubled and it would have been impossible for a mouse to enter undetected. In the throne room, King Ror was in a heated debate with his wife and second youngest son, Skye.

"I will not allow it!" he roared. "Po is missing and I will not allow his brother to go gallivanting off the same way!"

"I'm not gallivanting off! I'm searching for my brother! He's been gone almost two days now, and no-one has seen him since!" shouted Skye, equally furious.

"How is this helping Po?" demanded his mother. "You two bickering like a pair of fishwives won't do anyone any good!" Both men immediately rounded on her and started shouting at exactly the same time. It would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been so serious.

Suddenly the doors of the hall burst open and a guard strode in, hastily followed by a very agitated footman.

"I'm sorry you highnesses, I said that you weren't to be disturbed-" began the footman, but the guard cut across him.

"You highness" he said, addressing the King. "A party of six has just been spotted approaching the castle from the south. One of them may be the Prince."

Ror's wife didn't wait to hear any more. She swept from the room in a whirlwind of satin and silk, quickly followed by the faster but less agitated Skye. Ror only paused to say a hurried "thank you" and "please follow with a guard of six" to the guard before rushing after his wife and son.

* * *

Down below the castle, Panther, Viper, Boar, Robin, Key and Po made their way up the hill. Viper was at the head of the group, striding fast and not looking back. Boar had Po's tied hands constantly in his sight and was holding his upper arm so tightly he was leaving a red mark. Panther walked almost in a trance, seeing the whole island with new eyes now that she knew that it had once been her home.

"Halt" called Viper suddenly, jerking Panther out of her daze. Two people, a man and a woman, were hurrying down the hill towards them, another man with a six-person guard at their heels. The second man called out to the first two who stopped to wait for him, then continued down the hill at a more measured pace.

As the group approached Panther and the others the woman must have noticed Po's tied hands and Boar holding his arm for she gave a gasp and clapped her hands to her mouth. "Po!" she cried.

The six guards all started forward as if to take the group by force, but Ror noticed the yes of the approaching group and held up his hand in a fist. _Stop. _The guards held back, puzzled, but Ror addressed Viper first.

"Why have you come?" he demanded, with great dignity given the circumstances. "I demand that you release my son!"

Viper made an almost imperceptible gesture that Boar of course saw. He released Po's upper arm and drew his knife in one fluid motion. The guards started forward, bows drawn, thinking that their prince was about to be murdered in front of their eyes, but Boar merely cut Po's bonds and pushed the prince forwards towards his family.

Po held himself with great dignity as he approached his family, despite his now messy and ragged appearance, but his style was killed slightly by his Mother drawing him into a tight embrace.

Po held her for a moment then pulled free of her embrace.

"Bring this lot up to the castle" he ordered the soldiers. "But not by force. Just escort them. Make sure they have rooms." Po's voice was bitter but resigned.

"Po? What is this?" demanded his Father, flabbergasted, but the expression on Po's face stopped him.

"Just bring them" ordered Po, before turning on his heel and making his way up to the castle, his bizarre entourage following behind.

* * *

Panther inspected her bedroom closet suspiciously. The servant who'd showed her in had informed her that she was expected downstairs for dinner with the royal family in half an hour, and she was trying to get ready, but honestly had not a clue what to wear. The bathtub had baffled her at first – it was so much bigger than the tiny bucket-like affairs that the inns the group had sometimes stayed in had, but she'd made fair use of it once she'd realised it's purpose, and now her hair was silky smooth and dripping wet, and she smelled faintly of lavender soap and rose-petals.

Wrapped in a bathrobe, she stood dripping in front of the array of dresses a maidservant had provided and frowned.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Robin's head poked round the door.

"Panther? Are you decent? Can I come in?"

"Yeah sure, I could use some help."

Robin came in and shut the door softly behind her. She was dressed in a soft, moss green gown that made her look far less opposing and wild than she had in her tattered leggings, and the colour didn't clash with her eyes like most colours did. She looked very beautiful and unassuming, which, Panther supposed, was precisely the point.

"You look lovely" she told her. Robin smiled at her.

"I feel a bit odd, but maybe that's not such a bad thing. What are you wearing?"

"I've no idea" Panther told her honestly. "These are just so baffling..."

"It should be natural to you, my Lady" teased Robin, but stopped at Panther's sudden exclamation.

"Oh don't! Don't! I can't deal with you saying it too!"

"Why?" asked Robin, shocked. "Who else is saying it to you?"

"No one, but me is enough! I keep on thinking how all this" she gestured around at the expensive-looking room "should be second nature to me, and then I wonder what the heck they will make of me; me, the half-wild, half-savage assassin who's never really known proper society, and who they'll now expect to be a lady and everything. And then I think what the heck am I doing here anyway – I'm no court damsel who sits quietly and makes small talk, I should be off hunting or fighting bandits or something in some mountains somewhere, not here trying to look good in a posh gown!" She looked utterly desperate and bewildered, and ready to burst with frustration and distress, and it didn't take much for Robin to cross over to her and pull her into a tight hug.

"It's okay" she said soothingly. "It's okay. They're not expecting anything of you yet – lets cross that bridge when we come to it. First we need to tell them who you are without the rest of us getting arrested."

Panther how scared Robin must have been feeling since Viper announced his intention to tell the royal household all that had happened; it was highly likely that they could all get arrested for kidnap; all except for Panther that is. And here she was, worrying about bad first-impressions.

"You're right, I'm sorry" said Panther, pulling out of her embrace and wiping her eyes. "Okay, let's choose a stupid gown."

Robin smiled at her and they turned to the dresses laid out on the bed with as much trepidation as they would an angry fox.

_There you go! Finally, a long chapter to make up for my lack of chapters in recent weeks._

_Hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think!_

_Stars x _


	10. Chapter 10

_Heya folk! Can't believe that people are still reading this! XD Anyway, here we go! Chapter 10!_

Po was sitting between his mother and brother Skye. Silvern, the closest in age to Skye, was sitting two places away on the other side of his mother, his wife Lynette between them. Opposite Skye was his other daughter, Karla, and next to her was an empty place for Panther, then two more places for Robin and Key. King Ror himself sat at the head of the table next to Karla on one side and Skye on the other. On the ends of the table furthest away from Ror were two places opposite each other for Boar and Viper. There was a conspicuously larger number of guards on that side of the room.

The doors swept open and Viper entered, dressed smartly and flanked by two palace guards. The atmosphere in the room tangibly froze. He was followed by Robin, holding Key's hand. The little girl was dressed in a whisp of blue gossamer it seemed, and her little eyes, one pastel blue and one cloud white, swept the room nervously. Lynette visibly leaned towards the little girl, sympathy written all over her face clear as day. The trio took their seats, Key opposite Lynette, Robin next to her and opposite Silvern. Boar hurried in after them and sat down next to Robin.

Finally, and almost hesitantly, Panther entered. The shadows quivered and she stretched out her fingers to them, almost as if she couldn't help it. She was dressed in a delicate blue gown, which fell in ripples to her feet. It sparkled with some sort of black glitter, and her hair fell smooth and silky about her shoulders. She looked utterly beautiful.

Karla and Skye both started forward simultaneously, surprise and a faint hopefulness clear on their faces, then reason overruled hope and they sat back. Panther was left breathless by the likeness between father and daughter; she wondered if she had any of that look about her. Robin smiled at her and indicated the seat beside her, which Panther sank into gratefully.

There was an awkward moment in which everyone struggled to find something to say. Po broke the silence.

"Are your rooms adequate Lady?"

Panther nodded, glad to have something to say. "Very, thank you." She felt that she ought to add something to that, but she couldn't think of anything to say, so she just took a gulp of water from her glass.

Ror frowned at the use of the word 'Lady' in reference to Panther. Po noted the frown and braced himself.

"All right, what the blazes is going on?" demanded Ror. "Po, I need an explanation."

Po took a deep breath and began.

"Two nights ago, we returned from the hunt-"

"Yes, that was the last time we saw you" interrupted Ror.

"Yes, it was. I was followed up to my room that night..." Po threw a glance at Panther who blushed guiltily, but raised her chin defiantly.

"The lady who followed me called herself Panther. I invited her into my room as she appeared confused and lost, but as soon as I entered my room I was knocked unconscious by inhaling some concoction that had been infused into the air."

Now it was Robin's turn to blush, and she did so, further living up to her namesake.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in the hold of this man's ship" continued Po, gesturing at Viper. "I was not treated appallingly, but nor was it precisely royal standard accommodation. However, that is not the brunt of what I have to tell you. It appears" he said, taking a deep breath. "It appears that they have among their number one of our own. It appears that they have, and have always had, Princess Maylin."

Chaos erupted. Ror leapt to his feet; his immediate reaction said a lot about his presence of mind as he raised his hand, fingers spread, and the guards all surged forward to restrain Viper and the others. Only Panther and Key were left untouched. Even Robin had two men holding her back. The guards weren't taking any chances. Silvern also leapt to his feet, but his reaction was very different. His immediate reaction was to launch an attack on Viper, and only his wife Lynette holding him back stopped him killing Viper there and then.

Skye and Kayla however reacted almost identically; both thought only about Panther. Kayla, who had been sitting next to her, clasped both hands to her mouth, her eyes wide and alight with delight. Skye practically vaulted over the table in his rush to get to Panther. He almost crashed into her, and, restraining himself by an effort of sheer willpower, took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"My daughter?" he breathed softly. "My Maylin? Really?" His gaze flickered towards Po. "Brother? You're not joking?" Po shook his head silently. Skye's arms dropped limply to his side. He looked lost and hopeless, yet his entire frame shook with some barely suppresses emotion.

Kayla had sat down sharply in her chair, but now she stood up shakily.

"Maylin" she said, and her voice was surprisingly strong. "I'm your sister. My name is Kayla."

Maylin nodded, and said, hoping her voice didn't sound too wobbly "I know. Po told me."

Kayla nodded too. Both girls looked each other in the eyes for a long moment, then simultaneously fell into each other's arms. Kayla wrapped her arms around her little sister and held her like she'd wanted to all these years; as if she could protect her from the world forever and never let her go. After a long time Kayla said in a slightly muffled voice "you're taller than me now. You were always smaller than me."

She felt more than saw Maylin nod, and felt a little sob escape her, and the two sisters clung together like sailors on a drowning boat, while chaos ensued around them.

_*Takes a deep breath* Phew, that was intense! Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me your thoughts! Star x _


	11. Chapter 11

**_Dear all – Here is the situation. It is really rather simple: I found this story I'd abandoned from about a year ago (the terrible writing shows) while procrastinating work and decided to continue. End of. Will hopefully continue this now until the end. Happy reading. Stars x_**

**_NB: Between starting this fanfic and reaching this point, 'Bitterblue' came, and picked holes in my plotline. Some are really obvious, such as Skye clearly not being gay here, and some are more minor, such as the fact that if you calculate timelines, there would technically be Dellians in Monsea by the time this is supposed to be set. Not being Kristen Cashore, I didn't know any of what she had in mind when I wrote this, so I apologize for any (and all) inaccuracies that may have resulted. They are totally not intentional, and I promise that they annoy me more than they annoy you... :( _**

Panther/Maylin was sitting on the roof of Ror's castle, one leg dangling off the steeply sloping battlements, her foot literally hanging a clear 70 feet above the sea, with nothing in between the two apart from air. It had taken her a full hour of wandering sleeplessly around the corridors to finally spot this place from a window, and from there it had been a relatively simple matter to climb out of the window and onto the roof, using the ivy that grew all over the place here as a firm handhold. She was utterly blocked from the view of anyone below her by the slanted roof on which she sat, and she faced out to sea – only someone with a Grace for noticing people's presence or someone on the water would have been able to spot her.

She didn't want to go back to her room. Her room had four walls with white and gold wall-paint, glass windows, (now hidden by rich velvet drapes) and everything in it, from the four-poster bed to the silver soap-holder, must have cost more than she'd ever owned in her life. Well, in her life past the age of six, she corrected herself. It was a strange thought, that she'd been richer at 6 than she had at 16. Even stranger that she was now expected to accept this richness, and not think twice about ordering around servants who'd lived better than her for most of their lives. The girl 'Panther' from the mountains of Monsea couldn't reconcile herself with Princess Maylin of the red velvet drapes and silver soap-holders.

It was only a matter of hours since Po had made his announcement and all hell had broken loose in the dining room. Viper, Boar, Robin and Key had all been arrested by Ror's guards, Key teetering on the edge of tears so that her lower lip trembled, but she'd stuck her chin out in such a brave way that Lynette, Silvern's wife, had practically begged her father-in-law to see reason, and stop Key from spending a night in the cells. Ror however had been determined, and so while Key was not placed in the dungeons with the other three, she had 5 guards outside her room, and, due to the nature of her grace, her room had neither a window to climb out of nor a fire-place whose chimney to scurry up.

Viper, Boar and Robin meanwhile had been dragged away to the dungeons, and even Panther/Maylin had not been allowed to see them. 'Divided loyalties' was how Ror had put it. Panther/Maylin thought that 'divided' was putting it rather lightly. 'Torn up beyond comprehension' would have been more like it.

Ravens had been dispatched far and wide – Queen Bitterblue of Monsea would know soon enough who had been hiding in her mountains; Lady Katsa, currently in Sunder, would be rushing back by tomorrow morning. All Council members had been informed, and only the Kings of Wester, Sunder and the Middluns had not been told. Ror wanted to temper their reaction a little more carefully.

It had been almost 2am before the talking had started to slow in the hall – explanations, stories, information and anything anyone didn't understand had been talked over and through, and it was only when Silvern quite literally fell asleep in his chair that Ror dispatched them all to their beds. Maylin had been shown to a different room to the one she'd been placed in upon arrival, this time much grander, and she'd immediately decided that she didn't like it one jot. It was designed for the Maylin of 10 years ago, not this rough little mess of today.

Tomorrow the real issues would begin – Maylin would need dresses, servants, rooms, horses, tutors, and every other frivolity of court life. She would need to be introduced to everyone who was anyone on Leinid, and most importantly, she would need to get to know her sister and Father all over again.

Suddenly she was exhausted. She looked down at the waves crashing 70 feet below her, and realised abruptly that this was mad. It was nearly 3:30 in the morning. She needed bed.

She grasped the edge of the roof with both hands and swung down, dangling over the sea by her fingertips for a second or so before her feet found the window ledge below her. From there it was easy to drop from ledge to ledge, going lower and lower until she found the window that she'd climbed out of in the first place. It was still open. She went in.

A blur of corridors and several wrong turns took her back to her room, where she slipped past the guards outside the door using her Grace (_oh, stupid Ror_, she though, then mentally reprimanded herself, remembering that he was her Grandfather now), stripped off her gown (now thoroughly ruined) and finally fell into bed. Despite all her predictions to the contrary, she was asleep within seconds.


End file.
